Looe Key/Key West next week

[Busdiver]

Good morning,

I am heading down from Michigan on the 27th. I am staying on Cudjoe Key and plan on diving Looe Key Reef. There does not seem to be an over abundance of dive ops right there. My options seem to be Looe Key resort, innerspace, and strikezone. Unless I hear different I will probably give all three a try. Looe Key Reef resort does a 3 dive package on wednesday's where you start on the Busch and then do two on the reefs. If anyone has suggestions or opinions please chime in.

My question is KW dive ops. There is a bigger selection to choose from. If anyone can provide some direction I would truly appreciate the guidance. We plan on diving out of KW one time and that is to dive the Vandenberg.

Now to provide insight in the type of dive op I enjoy. When we dive KL we use the HMS Minnow. That dude's boat may be small but he gets you out there (early), lets you dive as long as you need, and gets you home. Nothing fancy, just lets us dive to our level.

Finally, this is the first time I will have had the opportunity to dive this area on NY day. Any suggestions? Do charters get slammed on NY day or are most folks nursing the vodka flu?

Thanks again for any insight and help.

Jamie

 

[astrl]

There are several dive ops that go to Looe Key Reef but I think they may be on different keys. I see them every time I drive to Key West. It's on my list of reefs to dive but I have yet to get there. I hope you enjoy it!

As for Key West dive ops, I don't have any suggestions. I have more experience on northern keys. Maybe someone else will have something to offer.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

My buddy and I dived with Looe Key Reef Resort last summer for one day. Ours was a three-tank dive on Looe Key.

The boat was a 40-something foot catamaran, with about 30 snorkelers and us (that day). Processing in was a bit "institutional" (a crowd, you are given a number, etc.), but efficient. The boat captain and crew had a well-practiced "routine," but were professional and pleasant. They have an interesting run through the mangroves out of their canal.

Once out at the reef we made three different one-hour dives, all on buoys at Looe-Key. Depths were in the 25' range. Surface intervals were about 10 minutes and we just had time to change our gear over. If one so desired, there were margaritas and hot dogs for sale on surface interval.

The reef was really nice - lots of relief in a spur-and-groove formation.

On the way back in they push the Tiki Bar a bit, but again, all was pleasant. There is a handheld quickie shower on the boat, and a longer hot shower available on shore on the way out.

Three tanks was a nice balance (vs. the usual two or four). It was nice to get in the extra tank, but without the long boat ride in, change over, and go back out that you have with four tanks.

I had one leaking valve and three leaking O-rings on the rental AL-80s, so you may want to check them out before the boat departs (they cheerfully fixed them).

Blue Sparkle

 

[Katch]

I'll be in the Keys that week also. I have a reservation with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo on Monday morning. Later in the day, if enough people sign up, I'll be doing a night dive at Holiday Isle. I'm diving with Innerspace on Wednesday (too new for the deeper wreck with Looe Key Resort (but I am staying there Tuesday night).

I'm diving with Dive Key West on New Years Eve (afternoon). I dove with them last July, and I liked that center because they dock at a private marina/yaught club. You get free use of the facilities for the day (pool and showers). Since I haven't found a hotel that night, I'll use the place for cleaning up for New Years festivities. Staying at the Days Inn Wednesday through Friday, and Marriott Courtyard Saturday night.

I'll probably dive again in Key Largo on my way out of the Keys Monday, January 3rd.

If you're going to be at any of those places, send me a pm. I send you my cell. We could meet up for a beverage.


Steve

 

[diver1011]

If you like a small 6 pack, see Peter at Bonsai Diving. He gives a great guided dive on the Vandee. I went places that I wouldn't have without a guide. A couple of bucks more than the cattle boats but well worth it.

 

[trtldvr]

I lived in KW for 13 years, I taught diving at the community collage and was a diver for the sheriff"s Office befor my nursing carreer brought me to the high plains of west Tx.

.

Don't let lower keys bashers fool you, there is still great diving around Key Weird, you just have to know what to ask for.

Most of the opporators offer similar trips. 2, 2 tank trips a day. Most will do the wrecks in the am, and reefs in the afternoon. Prices will vary. Dive Key West (N. Roosevelt near shopping centers Owners Bob and Cece) tends to be the most expensive, but they do put DMs in the water, which is not the norm in the keys. Captains Corner (Green St and Flemming owned by Leslie) is at the other end of the pricing , runs a good trip , but is a larger boat with more divers and about a 4ft giant stride. In between, and my favorite, is Lost Reef adventures (200 block of Margeret st, across from Half Shell Raw Bar owned by Nick Collasar).

The Vandenberg is the big attraction dive in KW bigshipwrecks.com, 600+ ft missile tracking ship sunk in 140ft of water May27 2009. Don't let the depth freak you out, this is a big mother. Structure rises to 50ft and there is a lot to see on the exterior. Search it on youtube there are a lot of videos (defending the vandenberg is amazing).

One of my favorite dives gets a bumb rap. Joes Tug sits is a 60 ft harbor tug that was illigaly sunk in the 80s in 65 ft. Hurricanes have ripped her apart and she is more of a debris feild, but she was sunk on the outer reef and is absolutly loaded with life. Think of it as an outer reef dive with wreckage. This is a good warm up dive before tackling the Vandy.

The popular inner reefs (Sand Key, Rock Key, Western Sambos, 9 ft stake) are hurting big time as far as the coral goes, but are still loaded with fish. These reefs all range from 30 to 10 ft in depth.

The outer reefs (Lost reef, the humps) are about 40 ft deep and the corrals are much healthier.

Diving in the Keys is generally done from a mooring ball, but if conditions allow the occasional drift dive does happen.

Generally the first people to sign up for a trip can request the type of dive (double wreck, wreck/ reef, double reef) and to some extent location, But ultimatly the captain will decide based on conditions.


Have fun and safe dives
trtldvr

Ps if you use any of the shops I suggested tell them Bob Guhl is dry, but alive and well.

 

[FL-Jack]

Let me second what trtldvr has said about The Vandenberg, you cannot be in Key West and miss this wreck, IMO. It is a bit new but ls taking on life fast. The still intact, gigantic satellite dishes and sheer size of the ship are amazing.

The Busch is one of my favorites.

A shot I took of the prop that sits in the sandy bottom. Be sure to keep your eyes out for the gigantic Jew fish and rays that inhabit the wreck. Nearly every form of life you can find in Florida also inhabit the ship as it rises to the surface, including massive formations of invasive tubestria.

Cheers.

 

[Thadmn]

I used "Sub Tropic Divers" for my trip on the Vandenberg. There were 4 of us diving, 3 in one group on single 80's, and me solo on a rebreather. A ripping current. I had to pay extra because they said there were cancelations. (I thought if you cancelled within a 24 hour period, they kept your $$, so I wasn't sure why they cahrged me extra) They were nice people. One in the group of 3 had ear trouble, so they dove only 16 minutes. I had the wreck to myself for 2 1/2 hours. They didn't have a problem with my time on the wreck and were attentive when I surfaced, throwing me a line immediately in the current.

 

[joh]

I've snorkeled with Looe Key Reef Resort (before I was certified) and had a good time. There were divers sharing out boat that day. It was a nice operation, and I have been looking forward to going back and diving Looe Key.

 

[Buoyant1]

Tried using Innserspace once, and they screwed up my plans, but someone said once they are in different hands than they were when I attempted using them...(apparently the owner who did most of the booking lived out of state, and there was a disconnect between him and the shop...this was told to me by the guy at the shop on the day I was scheduled to dive with them)

I used Looe Key Resorts last year on their Wednesday Busch trip...and as previously mentioned it's 3 tanks, and sometimes loaded with snorkelers. The Reef up there is VERY nice and much better than the reef's I've seen diving off of KW (EXPONENTIALLY better) Yeah, there are supposedly nicer reefs off KW, but none of the dive ops take you there!

Anyway...Looe Key Resorts is a major cattle boat situation, and yeah, it gets crowded, but they delivered what I wanted, and where I wanted to go! I'd use them again, and would look past the things that would annoy most.

The Busch is a decent dive, in a "mud hole" as a friend that works at another op in Marathon described, but it was cool to at least dive on it once...I'd consider it again...but the reefs up there are VERY lush and easy to navigate!


Don't know much about Strike Zone at all. But I know there's another place called Underseas Inc. but don't know much about them either, except a friend recommended them once

In KW I've used Subtropic and Captains Corner, and HIGHLY recommend both outfits!!


Good luck!